General Discussion

Lightbulb_on

(315 posts)

142. As an active duty Army guy...

Tue Oct 30, 2012, 06:21 PM

Oct 2012

... I serve and have continued to serve beyond my first stint because I think there is value in what I do.

On the most basic level, I am responsible for defending the physical United States from foreign attacks on a grand scale. It doesn't happen because we are here and would happen if we were all magicked away. This is the fighting for your freedom part. Our existence allows for people like the OP to spout what he likes.

On another level, I am a patriotic person and I take satisfaction in the fact that I am working to advance US capabilities and interests around the world. I want us to be the biggest, strongest and most influential in all possible realms and I don't see anything wrong with that. I benefit from it and the citizens of the US benefit from it.

I don't expect gratitude from others. Sometimes I receive it. Sometimes I don't. My buddy got a nice lob of spit from an Occupier.

I'm glad to do it anyways and anything beyond that is a perk.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

221 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The problem of our military worshipping culture [View all] quinnox Oct 2012 OP

When you learn the difference between the words "worship" and DonViejo Oct 2012 #1

I agree with OP that the culture tends to worship the military and the flag k8conant Oct 2012 #4

Why blindly honor the participants in wars of aggression? ronnie624 Oct 2012 #19

Warfare and the armed forces are not the same thing. sibelian Oct 2012 #62

? argiel1234 Oct 2012 #68

As you are clearly labouring under the misapprehension sibelian Oct 2012 #92

The United States military argiel1234 Oct 2012 #96

You still don't get it. No one volunteers to fight. They volunteer to serve. And... stevenleser Oct 2012 #113

No argiel1234 Oct 2012 #118

Yes, and I know because I enlisted and know the folks I served with. stevenleser Oct 2012 #120

No, let me educate you argiel1234 Oct 2012 #127

See, you are wrong. No, I was not issued a weapon of any kind. You make assumptions galore. stevenleser Oct 2012 #130

Im assuming you were talking about the E level enlistees argiel1234 Oct 2012 #132

I enlisted and started at lowest rank like everyone else. You do not know what you are talking about stevenleser Oct 2012 #134

If you enlisted at the lowest rank argiel1234 Oct 2012 #135

No, I didnt do any more than that. Enlistees in the Air Force and Navy are not ground fighters. stevenleser Oct 2012 #140

you are right argiel1234 Oct 2012 #143

No, again you are wrong. Air force and navy enlistees do not pilot drones. stevenleser Oct 2012 #144

your right again, when enlistees graduate to Officers and higher argiel1234 Oct 2012 #146

You're attempt to talk about things you dont know is becoming Palinesque stevenleser Oct 2012 #148

then pray tell, stevenleser, answer post #118 argiel1234 Oct 2012 #153

I already answered post 118. What didnt you like about my response. A marine has also weighed in and stevenleser Oct 2012 #157

CLueless does not start to describe it nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #204

It is quite surprising sarisataka Oct 2012 #141

Air Force basic training has gone through several iterations in the past 40 years stevenleser Oct 2012 #154

That matches what I had heard sarisataka Oct 2012 #160

So... your cousin is a Merchant Marine. Does he know the words to "The Halls of Montezuma"? cherokeeprogressive Oct 2012 #149

answer post #118 argiel1234 Oct 2012 #156

I already answered 118 above. nt stevenleser Oct 2012 #158

this is going nowhere argiel1234 Oct 2012 #162

Because you refuse to listen to the people who have actual experience in favor of your assumptions. stevenleser Oct 2012 #168

In WW2 sarisataka Oct 2012 #169

. argiel1234 Oct 2012 #172

Enlighten me sarisataka Oct 2012 #173

you win argiel1234 Oct 2012 #174

Forgive me, I am old school sarisataka Oct 2012 #177

So may I assume you don't actually have a question? n/t sarisataka Oct 2012 #186

Post 118 doesn't ask a fucking question. But you tell your Merchant Marine cousin we're thankful cherokeeprogressive Oct 2012 #178

He is a Merchant Marine argiel1234 Oct 2012 #180

I believe they take an oath to defend the Constitution... kentuck Oct 2012 #155

"worship" = "liking or respecting something I dislike," in DU-ese. Posteritatis Oct 2012 #44

If it is too complicated for you, I understand. Robb Oct 2012 #2

+1. Well said. n/t FSogol Oct 2012 #50

Yes well said. hrmjustin Oct 2012 #181

I volunteer at a VA AsahinaKimi Oct 2012 #3

Thank you for doing that. Lucinda Oct 2012 #89

This veteran appreciates that you do that. stevenleser Oct 2012 #112

Thankyou, AsahinaKimi pinboy3niner Oct 2012 #191

From the other side sarisataka Oct 2012 #5

thank you for the response quinnox Oct 2012 #7

I may disagree with your opinion... sarisataka Oct 2012 #8

Semper Fi, marine stevenleser Oct 2012 #116

And I see some still aren't reading but reacting to what you wrote. Lionessa Oct 2012 #6

I think you are right in that observation quinnox Oct 2012 #9

You start out insulting people who disagree with you mythology Oct 2012 #176

There was no worshipping, it was honoring them glacierbay Oct 2012 #10

but why do they deserve more honor than artists or truckdrivers? TransitJohn Oct 2012 #69

Because they took an oath to die defending the Constitution. And they did. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #76

And I took an oath to always be irreverent. Accord me the same special honor. TransitJohn Oct 2012 #100

You may have succeeded but it hasn't benefitted the populace at large... Lightbulb_on Oct 2012 #128

How? TransitJohn Oct 2012 #188

As stated below... Lightbulb_on Oct 2012 #193

"I defy you to tell me how I, personally, have benefited from the presence of War, Inc" EX500rider Oct 2012 #195

*check check* Lightbulb_on Nov 2012 #218

Let us know when your "oath" requires you to sacrifice your life. nt Llewlladdwr Oct 2012 #150

No roll eyes big enough. TransitJohn Oct 2012 #187

Yeah, it's just like any other job... pinboy3niner Oct 2012 #192

So it's the violence that you venerate. I see. n/t TransitJohn Oct 2012 #208

So it's the jaw dropping ignorance that you venerate I see. (Nt) eqfan592 Nov 2012 #217

So let's honor those people MORE, not soldiers LESS! Union Scribe Oct 2012 #199

Have you ever read Kipling's poem "Tommy"? MicaelS Oct 2012 #11

well, i'm from the vietnam era newspeak Oct 2012 #29

Something more recent: Hero of War by Rise Against ieoeja Oct 2012 #55

I love that song. Great band in general. white_wolf Oct 2012 #182

this ^^^^^^^ x 1000 n/t warrprayer Oct 2012 #121

This message was self-deleted by its author warrprayer Oct 2012 #123

I would like to point out that no one called anyone baby killers Enrique Oct 2012 #197

Democrats will be antiwar in 2016 n/t leftstreet Oct 2012 #12

Mock a gravesite, see what you get. You may have the most important msanthrope Oct 2012 #13

But mock this guy, and you'll have lots of company: sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #17

Not on DU you won't. I'm not sure why you using this man in this manner, msanthrope Oct 2012 #22

Better question, 'what is YOUR point'? DU is not the country, it is a miniscule sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #26

What is your point, Sabrina, that you are making with homeless veterans? nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #34

I asked you a question. Why are there so many sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #38

No--I asked you a question, first. What are you doing for the men whose pictures you msanthrope Oct 2012 #51

What is the US Government doing for those men? And why do they use sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #54

You are the one who used their pictures. Tell us what you are doing for these men, that you thought msanthrope Oct 2012 #63

i'm with you sabrina newspeak Oct 2012 #59

The answer is simple. Republicans don't care about funding help for veterans when they come home. stevenleser Oct 2012 #117

Who said anything about mocking a gravesite? Hugabear Oct 2012 #46

Perhaps you missed the original thread? It centered around a gravesite. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #49

I read the OP. How is it mocking anything? Hugabear Oct 2012 #52

"Mocking" is probably wrong. sibelian Oct 2012 #64

This--it's the utter lack of empathy that astounds me. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #65

It shows a lack of empathy because people are worried about the living, not the dead? Bladian Oct 2012 #67

Worried about the living? What in their posts indicated to you msanthrope Oct 2012 #73

So it's the 'far left' that is the problem to you? Not the Far Right sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #103

Sabrina, the far right isn't on this board, mocking a gravesite. When they msanthrope Oct 2012 #114

I don't see anyone mocking a gravesite. I see people questioning how it honors sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #147

I'm unsurprised by what you don't see. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #163

And you have had so much opportunity to enlighten me, but for some reason sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #170

I did not see one post mocking the gravesite. ieoeja Oct 2012 #57

You should read more carefully. The OP wrote a post msanthrope Oct 2012 #60

"Soldiers should feel foolish". "It is peculiar." ieoeja Oct 2012 #70

Right. Not mocking it, just near it. Okay. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #74

Amen. And using it to further their little agenda is disgusting. Nt DevonRex Oct 2012 #107

how is America any different from other nations on this? Green_Lantern Oct 2012 #14

true, its a common pattern around the world but quinnox Oct 2012 #16

it is probably because from day one the US military Green_Lantern Oct 2012 #27

It supposedly was not during Vietnam, so maybe some of today's treestar Oct 2012 #31

And you'd be wrong nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #32

It is different. Most countries respect their military but they do not sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #28

I really don't think we worship military.... Green_Lantern Oct 2012 #33

I agree. I am not sure of the numbers, but I doubt that most other countries sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #42

We have less than a million homeless vets.... Green_Lantern Oct 2012 #53

I'd rather we honor them too. Neglecting them is not exactly honoring them. One sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #56

ONLY 22%!?! TheKentuckian Oct 2012 #211

I saw no one on DU worshipping them. Union Scribe Oct 2012 #200

I am not talking about that ceremony which I happen to think is very sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #209

Not really. In most of the countries I've been to, Marr Oct 2012 #93

That's been my experience also. And yet they mostly take far better care sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #106

The worship of the military is very limited. It is phony, it is for the sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #15

very good post sabrina quinnox Oct 2012 #18

People said the guards at the tomb bring a tear??? The homeless man with the dog guts me. Romulox Oct 2012 #21

Tell us what you've done for these men. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #24

There is no shortage of opportunity to help homeless veterans sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #36

So tell us the opportunity you took to help the men whose pictures you used? nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #37

Why are there so many homeless veterans in a country that claims sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #39

Again--you used these men's pictures. Tell us what you are doing for them. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #47

I fear there is no real answer for the question. MineralMan Oct 2012 #58

I currently provide transportation on an ad hoc basis for Vets--homeless and otherwise msanthrope Oct 2012 #61

Yup. Next Tuesday will be busy. MineralMan Oct 2012 #66

Election monitor/attorney in PA next Tuesday. 2k of us in PA. I'm sure most of us fail the purity msanthrope Oct 2012 #75

Elections have never been about purity tests. MineralMan Oct 2012 #82

Nor do they get off their asses. The 101st Chairborne, bombs of poutrage. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #84

I really don't know if they do or not. I know that I don't run MineralMan Oct 2012 #104

Thanks for your aid. great white snark Oct 2012 #71

Thank you. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #80

Thank you for working on this election. That's the job at hand MineralMan Oct 2012 #98

Well, where should I begin, although nothing any individual can do sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #101

I don't think that a person who has worked with homeless vets would feel comfortable using them msanthrope Oct 2012 #119

Lol, it is always amusing to see you work so hard to avoid answering sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #136

Sabrina, I ignore your questions. It's not hard work. msanthrope Oct 2012 #159

I know you do. The question is 'why' considering that other people have no sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #167

This message was self-deleted by its author msanthrope Oct 2012 #194

Why are you ashamed of the photos of these soldiers who returned after sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #151

Sabrina, have you taken to answering my posts twice because I'm not answering you msanthrope Oct 2012 #175

It's very hard to get an answer from you. sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #179

Took back my rec of the OP. Your's deserves it far more. n/t Egalitarian Thug Oct 2012 #85

I prefer to ignore the pomp and circumstance which really does nothing for actual soldiers.. EX500rider Oct 2012 #196

Missed the dust up, but it seems to me you are spot on-- Romulox Oct 2012 #20

I'm just going to leave this here... LP2K12 Oct 2012 #23

I am truly sorry for your loss. nt msanthrope Oct 2012 #25

I am sorry for the loss of your friend. My friend lost her husband, a sabrina 1 Oct 2012 #40

So sorry to hear that. LP2K12 Oct 2012 #78

It's an interesting issue treestar Oct 2012 #30

I would rec this post. llmart Oct 2012 #171

You know what is hysterical, yes hysterical, about this post nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #35

Sure Americans worship the military. Spider Jerusalem Oct 2012 #81

That's not worship, that's fetishism sibelian Oct 2012 #87

Just to add to the above.. txdemsftw Oct 2012 #41

Yup, the special chief's fund nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #43

I just saw a Facebook post SomethingFishy Oct 2012 #45

I imagine there are a handful who greatly respect, even admire the military. LanternWaste Oct 2012 #48

I suppose that if we dont clap loud and hard enough argiel1234 Oct 2012 #72

I don't think it's really anything uniquely to do with being American. sibelian Oct 2012 #90

Respect for the armed forces is most certainly NOT a universal trait argiel1234 Oct 2012 #94

You are wrong again. No surprise here. In virtually all Democracies, the populace respects the stevenleser Oct 2012 #122

Post the Democracies and then post the links argiel1234 Oct 2012 #129

Those are not Democracies. Next? nt stevenleser Oct 2012 #131

are you saying that our allies in Egypt, Quatar and the U.A.E are not argiel1234 Oct 2012 #133

egypt quatar and the uae argiel1234 Oct 2012 #137

Mexico, where polling reveals the army nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #205

How many countries have you lived in? nt Union Scribe Oct 2012 #201

Two of the greatest authorities on this issue agree. Generals Eisenhower and Butler. Egalitarian Thug Oct 2012 #77

Which has nothing to do with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Nt DevonRex Oct 2012 #83

Of course it does. The Tomb exists to honor those that have given the last measure Egalitarian Thug Nov 2012 #214

The problem with your post: DevonRex Oct 2012 #79

Correction sarisataka Oct 2012 #86

I should have known, being an Army veteran myself. DevonRex Oct 2012 #95

No problem sarisataka Oct 2012 #99

The guards are Army geardaddy Oct 2012 #88

I'll make the correction now. DevonRex Oct 2012 #97

No problemo! geardaddy Oct 2012 #105

That is just one of the many problems with the OP and its supporters. stevenleser Oct 2012 #125

Yes. You're right. Every veteran would DevonRex Oct 2012 #138

As an active duty Army guy... Lightbulb_on Oct 2012 #142

Many people's knowledge of the military sarisataka Oct 2012 #145

"Sacred cows make the best hamburger." Mark Twain Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2012 #91

This was about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. DevonRex Oct 2012 #102

You don't think the military has become a sacred cow in this country? Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2012 #109

I think that hijacking yesterday's post about the Tomb DevonRex Oct 2012 #110

The botom line is those who hijacked that thread are major douchebags. trumad Oct 2012 #111

You mean that's all I had to say? DevonRex Oct 2012 #139

+1000000 dionysus Oct 2012 #166

This message was self-deleted by its author dionysus Oct 2012 #161

This message was self-deleted by its author Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2012 #108

Veterans are treated like Shit , there is no worship of Military, there is worship of War Mongering JI7 Oct 2012 #115

It Is the Soldier warrprayer Oct 2012 #124

Oh I am so beyond sick of that "soldiers defend our freedom" line. white_wolf Oct 2012 #184

The soldiers didn't pick those wars. Union Scribe Oct 2012 #203

my guess is warrprayer Oct 2012 #210

Bingo! Dyedinthewoolliberal Oct 2012 #126

Venerating a tomb (and by extension, a culture of militarism) isn't the same as caring for vets. Romulox Oct 2012 #152

Patriotism is for fools! I will deffer to those wiser than I. See examples... L0oniX Oct 2012 #164

wow, great list of quotes quinnox Oct 2012 #183

+47 Enjoyed reading those! Thanks. lonestarnot Oct 2012 #202

thanks for making a fool of yourself. dionysus Oct 2012 #165

Well, yesterday quinnox thought the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was msanthrope Oct 2012 #198

Respect for the military is ingrained in the people's mind. hrmjustin Oct 2012 #185

good post quinnox Oct 2012 #189

Thank you and it is a good topic. hrmjustin Oct 2012 #190

Honoring those who sacrificed everything is different than "worship of all things military"... Scuba Oct 2012 #206

I agree. Vattel Oct 2012 #207

Sorry, but that is a bunch of bullshit. eqfan592 Nov 2012 #215

Geez, the "I was just following orders" excuse is alive and well. Vattel Nov 2012 #219

Speaking as a "foreigner" Canuckistanian Oct 2012 #212

Wow, just wow. eqfan592 Nov 2012 #216

No, I agree with you Canuckistanian Nov 2012 #220

In America church and war seem to go hand in hand DaniDubois Nov 2012 #213

Our culture worships war, not the military Dash87 Nov 2012 #221